Township Trustees - the first line in county government
By Debbie Lowe

The office of township trustee is considered by many to be government meets the people for the first time.

According to the publication, "Here is Your Indiana Government," the trustee is the chief administrative officer of the township, is elected for four years, must reside in the township and has general control over all property belonging to the township. In townships with less than 8,000 residents, the township trustee serves as assessor.

There are seven contested races for township trustee in Carroll County. All candidates were invited to answer four questions for this article to help readers better understand the choice at hand.

The questions:

+ Why is the trustee office important to county residents:

+ What is the township budget and do you plan to make any significant changes in spending

+ What is the most pressing issue for your township: and

+ What would you do differently than your opponent (for challengers) and (for incumbents) what does it mean when a trustee has money left over from their budget at the end of the year for investments? The responses: Burlington Township

Incumbent Alan Jackson (D) said, "Township government is important because it is the closest thing you can get to the people you serve - the trustee is a neighbor."

Jackson described the budget in detail and said he would make no significant changes in spending. He considers the Burlington Park, which is co-funded with the town of Burlington, the most significant issue facing the township and said the Indiana State Department of Local Government Finance examines all investments for appropriateness and he takes advice from that level in determining how to manage those accounts.

Challenger Lawrence Lambert (R) said, "The trustee has a fairly major role in the park and managing the fire department which provides first aid for injured residents."

He said he would not make any changes in spending immediately, but would review the overall financial operation of the township

to see if we could improve anything." The most pressing issue in local government for Lambert is the operation of the parks' department and plans to review the operation and management closely to be able to make decisions about tax rates and investment amounts.

Deer Creek Township

Incumbent Helen Schilling (R) said the trustee's office "is about the only office open day or night. It is the end of the line for some who don't qualify for anything else." She said the township assistance fund will need more money in the coming months and that assistance is the most pressing issue the township faces. Other township matters "are sidelines," she said.

Schilling said money left over at the end of the year in any account

just rolls over to the next year," and she likes to have a cushion for emergencies, such as a flood.

Challenger Neda K. Duff (R) said township government "is the local voice of the people" and is where government begins. She understands the budget process because she is an advisory board member. She would take a look at the overall tax rate and the different funds in order to shift money to level the budget according to spending habits. She believes more money is needed in the cumulative fire account for future equipment needs. Duff said the most pressing issue for the township is the lack of information and communication coming from the office. She said she would give detailed budget information to the advisory board and believes there is a need for modern technology in the office.

Jackson Township:

Both candidates are newcomers to the office in Jackson Township. Candidate Jason Endress (R) said the trustee level of government is important because it helps with the maintenance of fire protection, township assistance and takes some of the financial strain off other county offices. He said he reads the yearly budget report every year and would make no significant spending changes, but would like to see more money go to the fire department.

Endress said the most pressing issue is township assistance

because of the unemployment rate - we need to do a better job." He would handle that fund more efficiently than has been done in

the past "by ensuring that all money budgeted for poor relief goes to poor people. I don't believe there should be an ending balance in that fund at the end of the year."

Robert Dittman (D) said the trustee is important to assess property values, fire protection and township assistance. He said he would not make significant changes in budgetary matters and said his goal was to keep the tax rate down, look for grants and will initiate a cumulative fire fund.

Dittman said the most pressing issue is property assessments. He said farmers want a personal relationship with the person doing the assessing. He would use the advisory board members for expertise and said the board needs to have consistent township information.

Liberty Township

Incumbent James Tribbett(D) declined to answer questions saying he did not want to run for office. He said he has been trustee for four terms. "If I get elected ok and if I don't ok," he said.

Candidate Mark Justice (R) said the township trustee level of government is important because "it's the first point of contact with government. Farmers need someone as a trustee who has gone through the assessment process and knows how it works. The trustee is the easiest person to contact if there are questions about how things happen in the township."

Justice is familiar with the budgetary process and monitors the township budget when the annual report is filed and the proposed budget is advertised. He said the township has approximately $140,000 "sitting in investments" and stated there is no need to collect enough money to have that amount in excess.

Justice said the most pressing issue in the township is to increase the number of volunteer fire fighters. "Equipment doesn't do any good if there's no one there to drive it."

He would improve the communication between the trustee and residents. "I'd like to make township government more of a democracy again. I'd be willing to answer questions from residents."

Madison Township

Dwaine Ward (R) said the trustee level of government is important because it has a closer relationship with township residents than other levels of county government. The trustee is expected to keep fire protection working.

Ward said he would not make significant changes in budgetary matters because "everything has been taken care of in the past."

He indicated the most pressing concern for the township is property taxes and said he would work to hold taxes as low as possible.

Ward said he would not change the way things are done from the outgoing trustee. "I feel like we all get along well and there haven't been issues."

Candidate Amanda Robinson (D) was unable to be reached for this article.

Rock Creek Township

Incumbent Greg Nipple(R) said township government is important because "we take care of the parks, the cemeteries, township assistance and the assessing."

The budget has remained the same over the last four years and Nipple said he would not make significant changes in it.

The most pressing issue for the township is cemetery maintenance. The township recently assumed responsibility of a cemetery that was not planned for in the budget.

Nipple said for townships to be able to add to investments at the end of a year it means there was money left over in one or more funds. He said Rock Creek Township has no investments, certificate of deposits or savings accounts.

Challenger Donald Leisure (R) said the office is important to county residents because the trustee lives in the community and near local situations.

He said it is important for the trustee to be able to talk to residents directly. He wants to "cut corners" in the budget.

"I'm looking to spend the money as if it's my own. As a taxpayer, I think we pay too many taxes - I'll look to do things more economically."

Leisure said there are no pressing issues for the township, but he will be more available to the public than Nipple has been. "I want to walk the walk I talk."

Tippecanoe Township

Incumbent Joanne Vianco (D) said the "main goal of the township trustee is to help with township assistance." She said she likes to maintain "a little bit in reserve" in the budget for emergencies and would make no spending changes if re-elected.

Vianco was unaware of any pressing issues facing her township and stated the township has "two small certificates of deposit out of the fire fund," but no actual investment money.

Challenger Marlene Joseph (R) said the office is important to county residents because "it's the first line of contact with their governmental representatives. It is someone in their township they can go to and who would address issues throughout the year."

Joseph said she plans to look at categories in the budget to evaluate "every aspect of the budget and try to offer improvements that would be beneficial to the township."

She said the prevalent constituents' concern was the lack of communication with county department heads to address issues such as roads.

"We need communication in our township so the people hear what's going on and can be heard." Joseph said she would be more accessible to township residents than the incumbent has been. "I will listen to their concerns, comments and suggestions."